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More tests needed on cloud security systems

06/12/2012

As increasing numbers of businesses migrate their technology functions to cloud services, a new report has shown that less than half of chief information officers actually test the security systems provided by cloud vendors.

The report was carried out by risk consultancy Protiviti, and revealed that only 45 per cent of CIOs carry out these cloud security tests, with 84 per cent of those surveyed admitting that they were either "concerned" or "very concerned" about the potential risks associated with cloud security.

Despite the potential shortcomings in terms of safety, a separate report by the Cloud Industry Forum has shown that the rate of adoption by UK companies is on the rise, with 61 per cent of businesses now using cloud-based services compared to just 48 per cent last year.

Ryan Rubin, UK director at Protiviti, has issued a warning to all businesses that unless more stringent tests are carried out on these defences then the costs of security breaches could soon outweigh the benefits of moving into the cloud.